Not simply collecting, watch collectors can explore their hobby through ‘modding’.

For collectors, watches often stand as a representation of the times they hold most dear in life - a step up the ladder in their success story, a memento symbolizing loved ones, or a specific moment they want to cherish for as long as possible. For others however, they are investments. This is especially true in the past few years, when the price of watches has drastically increased.

During the pandemic, as of July 2020, sales of watches globally increased by 7.6 percent, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS) reported.

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“I am a watch collector, but I’m currently a bit tired of the game. I’ve had problems with getting hold of several rare watches. Only a handful of people have in their possession the most coveted watches and then they resell them. For example, for a Rolex steel watch, you can buy at Rp 150 million [$10,461.49] retail price, with a resale price of Rp 500 million,” Benny, a watch enthusiast and notable critic on Instagram, who does not want to use his real name, said.

Recently, the popularity of watch “modding” (modifying) in Indonesia has increased. The most popular model to modify is the Seiko SKX007 mainly because the watch itself is affordable compared with Swiss watches, which are generally considered the best in the world. When it comes to modding watches, people can customize the dial, bezel, even the hour and second hands. People can also combine parts of different watches into one piece.

Modifying a Swiss watch, however, is not impossible. Bamford Watch Department, an England-based watch company founded by George Bamford, is an example. It is known for customizing brands like Tag Heuer, Zenith and others. Once looked down upon, Bamford has secured a position as a collaborating partner of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s (LVMH) watchmaking division.

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